A dance with the princess

Published June 24, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Sergio A. Gamboa
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Daddy Daughter Dance at Tyndall was hosted June 18 at the Horizons Community Center as a pre-celebration to Father's Day.

With approximately 200 in attendance every year, girls and their fathers come out to enjoy the food, dancing and most importantly each other.

"The goal of the event is for dad's to get out with their girls and just have fun," said Karalee Duckworth, 325th Force Support Squadron marketing and commercial sponsorship specialist. "This is such a sweet event. It's one of my favorite events to help plan and I look forward to it each year."

At the event, every daughter became a princess after being crowned with a tiara and walking, with their dads, down a white carpet sprinkled with blue rose petals over it.

During the bash, a dance instructor came out to teach all the girls and dads a few steps to get them dancing. If that was not something they wanted to do, they could take professional "prom photos" or go into a self-help photo booth. One dad even blew bubbles to his daughter.

"I thought that the event was a great venue for me to show my daughter how to be treated like the princess she is," said Master Sgt. Edward Williams, 325th Contracting Squadron plans and programs flight chief. "I know my daughter enjoyed the event because she laughed at me the entire night. Any time she gets a chance to laugh at me is a good time for her, and I know she enjoyed it."

This event brings something not a lot of parents can enjoy and boosts morale to fathers and daughters alike. If you have not been to a Daddy Daughter Dance, you are missing out on something special, said Duckworth.

"I would recommend this event because quality time with our children is hard to come by, and they grow up too fast," Williams added.